Kitchen Demolition Tips

Ways to Prep for a Kitchen Demolition Project

Go you, NC resident, taking on that kitchen demolition job yourself! It’ll definitely be a project to be proud of once completed. If you’re looking for tips to get you motivated and to help you feel ready to take on the task, Junk Doctors can help. There are plenty of things you’ll need to prepare for a DIY kitchen demolition other than tools.

Other than motivation, you’ll need safety plans, prep supplies, and maybe some help moving heavy appliances. You should also check in with your local fire department to make sure you’re meeting all of the requirements for demolition and renovation in your town. Demo jobs may seem like fun stress-relieving activities, but safety and security should always come first in any home improvement project.

Will You Need to Outsource Parts of Your Demolition Project?

Let’s start with where you may need help. Will you be needing services for any parts of your project? Or do you plan to do it all yourself? We can tell you upfront that DIY kitchen demolition cost isn’t cheap. Rentals for equipment, tools, dumpsters, safety gear, and other services are absolutely necessary.

When you’re ready to get started let us know. A valuable resource in your project will be someone who can help you remove those heavy appliances. Trying to figure out how to disconnect and remove multiple kitchen appliances can be overwhelming. Refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers, all need to be safely disconnected before removal. Once they’re out of your way, and you’ve taken some other safety steps, you’ll be on your way to smashing.

You’ll also want to set up rentals for tools. Some you may have on hand, but others you’ll likely have to rent at a cost from a hardware supplier. Some common tools for kitchen demolition include:

Hammers – You won’t be knocking things out of place with your fists, that’s for sure. A sledgehammer is a must-have tool for demolition projects.
Pry Bars – You’ll need a pry bar for a lot of tasks, like removing drywall screws, countertops, and wood trimming. They’re also useful if you’re planning on doing kitchen cabinet demolition.
Pliers – Of course, you’ll need pliers. We need pliers for everything. You’ll likely have a pair already in your home.
Saws – There are variations of saws you may need, too. Like a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, a half-moon blade, or a keyhole saw.
Electrical Safety Equipment – In some cases you may need gear for electrical safety like a voltage meter and you may need to rent one to have on hand. It’s not always necessary but having it can save time on testing if something is active and this will add to your kitchen demolition cost.
Cloth (or Floor Protectant) – If you’re not working on your floors you’ll need to protect them with something like a cloth covering. You’ll avoid chemical, dust, and scraping damage this way.
Other Items – You’ll need lots of miscellaneous items that aren’t rentals as well like tapes or plastic for covering and protecting things.

These are considerably small items and tools you’ll either rent or purchase. But there are larger equipment and machines needed for demolition projects, too. A dumpster rental is one. If you’re not working with a full-service company that does kitchen demolition, you’ll need to rent a dumpster where you’ll store all the rubbish and refuse until your project is complete!

If you’re getting fancy with this kitchen project and plan to be as convenient as possible you’ll be interested in some other high-end equipment. Walk-behind floor scrapers, jackhammers, and power wheelbarrows take a load off of usually hard-to-do demolition tasks!

Things to do to Prep for Kitchen Demolition

We’ve covered tools and equipment you may need to prep for the job. Now let Junk Doctors walk you through things you should definitely do before you start smashing! Take these into consideration to avoid common DIYer mistakes, as some are safety precautions.

First Aid Kits Ready – Have yourself some first aid kits set up and in the necessary places. In the kitchen where you’re working, or close by if there’s in the way. And also in your vehicle in case you have to make a quick getaway to a hospital for any not-so-emergent reason. Remember to always call 911 in a medical emergency.

Shutting Things Off – Shutting off connections before your kitchen demolition is something you’ll do to prep as well. Head to your breaker and shut off the electrical power in the kitchen. You don’t want to get electrocuted when removing appliances or breaking through materials. You’ll have to shut off gas valves for any appliances using gas, before disconnecting them. You can turn off the water in the kitchen, in most cases from underneath the sink. Lastly, if you have an HVAC system you’ll want to turn this off and cover your kitchen ducts. You can put plastic over them and seal them with tape. This will keep dust particles from damaging the system and/or traveling through it to other parts of your home. Not a clean-up job you want to take on!
Fire Extinguisher – You should already have one of these in your home as well. If not consider getting a multipurpose extinguisher and keeping it nearby for emergencies.

Always do your research, too, and make sure you know everything you need to know about your project ideas! DIY demolition can be exciting and goals are definitely achievable with proper planning. Remember, you can always reach out to Junk Doctors for help! We provide a number of services for home improvement projects.